Right Where You Want Me to Be
by Colress
Summary: "Wow, Aria," Spencer chuckled. "If I didn't know better I'd say that you were A." Aria just smiled. She had them completely fooled.
1. Chapter 1: One Hundred Sleepless Nights

_As much as I love Pretty Little Liars, I have always found it... predictable. I thought it could use little humor and a really big plot twist, and that's where I came up with this story. It mainly focuses on Aria and Ezra being a part of the A Team, but it includes some development of other story lines as well as romance/drama for all the current couples. It's set roughly around the first part of season 3, and includes some actual events as well as my own. This is my first story, so I apologize in advance if it's horrible._

* * *

Aria checked the time on her phone. 2:34 AM. She quickly scanned the area. Her note was already placed on the desk nearby, stating that she'd forgotten she had to drive Mike to lacrosse practice, and had to run home early. Her friends were sound asleep on the floor around her. They'd get the note when they woke up, and probably think nothing of it. She'd see them at school in a few hours, anyway. Aria crept up and walked silently to the door of Spencer's barn. With one swift motion, she unlatched the lock and slipped out into the crisp November air.

Sneaking around always gave her such a rush. She loved the feeling of lying. Spencer had pointed it out herself: Aria was the best of the four girls at lying to people she was close too. If only her friend knew the extent to which these lies went.

The time on her phone was 2:52 AM now. Aria was almost late. She quickened her pace, almost running now. No one would see her. The small town of Rosewood was silent, and she had taken this path to apartment 3B in the middle of the night so many times, she could do it in her sleep. Besides, Aria had devised a careful series of hidden shortcuts to get to the apartment complex, just in case she had to make the trip during the day. It used to make her nervous, creeping around at three in the morning. But it didn't anymore. It's funny how quickly you can get acclimated to being bad.

At 2:58 AM, Aria slipped into apartment 3B, using the key that was kept hidden under the doormat. They never moved that key. If someone wanted to break in, it would be fairly easy. This decision was mainly a reflection of one of the team's philosophies. Sometimes, the best way to keep something hidden is to leave it out in the open.

Aria walked over to the bookshelf next to Ezra's bed. It was probably the most orderly piece of his small apartment. He kept it alphabetized by author, then title. She quickly removed the copy of _Tale of Two Cities_ on the third shelf down. Behind it was a small section of wallpaper that was ripped just slightly. The opening was just large enough for Aria to slip her fingers through, and flip the switch that was lodged about two inches inside of the wall. She heard a small clicking noise to the right of her. Replacing the book, she walked into Ezra's small closet and moved his hanging collection of button-down shirts aside, revealing a door. She opened it and walked inside, shutting it behind her. She flipped yet another switch to her left and smiled as she heard the door lock behind her. Aria smiled. Entering the lair had become second nature, and yet it still made her feel like a badass every single time.

Behind the secret door in the closet was a long, dark hallway. At the end of the hallway was yet another door, which required a four digit code to unlock. Aria smiled again. The code was her and Ezra's anniversary. She punched it in and walked inside. "Sorry I'm late," she began, noticing that her phone now read 3:03 AM. "There was a holdup back at the barn. We were watching a movie and they weren't going to sleep..."

"Will you please sit down? We have shit to talk about." Toby Cavanaugh spun around in his large office chair to face Aria. He was eating a bag of cheese curls, and he looked annoyed. "You aren't even in uniform, Aria."

Aria looked down. _Shit. _She was so worried about making it on time, she had forgotten to change. "I'm sorry! I'll... I'll be right back."

Toby rolled his eyes and licked his fingers. "Cheese curl?"

"No, Toby. I just got a manicure." Mona Vanderwaal admired the sleek black coat of shiny polish on her perfectly formed nails.

"I assume that means you aren't going to be taking notes on tonight's meeting?" Toby rolled his eyes again. "It's your turn, you know."

"Ezra will do it. It's a job for the rookies. Besides, he has perfect girly handwriting." Mona smirked across the table, meeting Ezra's steely gaze. As much as he hated being talked down to by a bunch of high school kids, he knew he had to pay his dues. This wasn't the chess club, after all.

Aria walked back inside. She was now dressed identically to the other three: all black sneakers, black cargo pants (the extra pockets were a necessity), and the trademark black hooded sweatshirt. She also had a thick layer of black eyeliner. The only thing that wasn't black in the outfit was her signature bright red lipstick. She took her usual seat at the table, right next to Ezra.

"It's about time." Toby stood up, moving over to the chalkboard that was hanging in the back of the room. It was one of the few things in the room, other than the folding table and chairs the group was sitting on. Toby had installed a mini fridge in the opposite corner, and the walls were lined with photos of Aria's friends, newspaper clippings, and various other paraphernalia. Toby printed _November 13, 2012_ in the top right hand corner of the chalkboard. "Welcome to tonight's meeting, A Team," he began. "I called you all here for a very important reason..."


	2. Chapter 2: Give Me One Good Reason

"We had such a monumental success in our most recent exploit. That was, and continues to be, one of the greatest blackmailing schemes ever created by our team. I applaud your efforts." Toby continued. Mona rolled her eyes. She knew how Toby liked to brag about the team's successes.

Ezra blinked. He thought, for a moment, if he was where he belonged. Aria had always been the one to make the decisions in their relationship, but this was more than just choosing what to have for dinner or what movie to watch. The first time he put on that black hoodie, Ezra knew that his life would never be the same. The question remained, however, if it would be for the better or worst. Aria had seemed so confident when she asked him if he would help her with this little "project" she had been working on. Besides, he could never seem to bring himself to say no to those eyes.

Aria looked down. She still felt a twinge of regret every time she thought about how much she was deceiving her friends. Poor Emily didn't deserve half of the things she was put through, especially the most recent graveyard incident. After Maya died, Aria had tried to nonchalantly suggest they back off a little. Emily had been put through enough already. It was always Emily, though… she was, after all, the weakest link…

"Anyway," Toby said, "Even though those little liars aren't anywhere near to thwarting that plan, we always need to be a step ahead. We need ideas. We need action. We need to scare them again." The room was silent. Mona yawned. "Come on people," Toby was getting angry. "Wearing that hoodie is a privilege, not a right. You aren't getting paid to just sit around and let _me_ do all the thinking!"

The mad look in Toby's eyes snapped Aria out of her daydream. She suddenly remembered why she was doing this in the first place. Where the money came from, Aria didn't know. It arrived in envelopes with no return address on the second Tuesday of every month. Toby seemed to know where it was coming from, but no one ever asked him. It wasn't just money that Toby was referring to when he talked about getting paid, either. There were a number of benefits that far outweighed the detriments when it came to being on this team. Aria had never felt more powerful. The information she had made her feel like she was all-knowing, standing over Rosewood like some kind of evil overlord. She was feared by everyone, and yet no one knew who she was. She lived a double life of the variety she once thought only existed in on television shows and in comic books. It was addictive, too. After you send your first blocked text message, or complete your first mission, or put on the hoodie for the first time, you're in it for life. But this kind of rush comes at a price. Whatever Toby says goes, and he isn't concerned about putting anybody in danger. That includes Aria, Ezra, and Mona.

Aria stood up, taking a deep breath. "I think I have an idea."

* * *

Spencer opened her eyes slowly. It was 6 AM, and the light was just starting to come in through the barn windows. She turned next to her to see if Aria was awake, and instead found an empty sleeping bag.

"Aria had to go home. Something about Mike and lacrosse and who even knows." Hanna said.

"Oh." Spencer was startled. She hadn't realized Hanna was already up. "It's pretty early for you, Han."

"I'm meeting with Caleb before school at the brew. I have to get ready!"

Spencer suddenly remembered Toby. She hadn't talked to him since yesterday at school. She made a mental note to send him a cute text before class started. Speaking of texting, Spencer realized that they hadn't gotten any disturbing messages from A since the pictures in the car from _that night_. It was odd, though. A never took a break. She got up and began making herself a pot of black coffee, the kind her friends hated.

"Spencer, oh my god!" Hanna ran into the barn's small kitchen, clutching the latest issue of the Rosewood observer. "You need to read this."

"Hanna, since when do you read the paper? Or anything, for that matter?" Spencer poured herself a large cup of coffee, smirking.

"I'm serious." Hanna slapped the paper down on the table. The headline almost made Spencer drop her coffee all over the floor.

_Mentally Unstable Girl Escapes from Radley Sanitarium, on the Loose in Rosewood_

Spencer didn't have to read any more. There was only one mentally unstable girl they knew about in Rosewood. If A had decided to get Mona out of Radley, they must have some kind of reason or use for her. The lack of texts lately wasn't a coincidence. A was up to something, and whatever it was, it was a lot scarier than a couple of threatening messages.


End file.
